At the palengke in the rural province
I sayMom, that's too flashy.someone might try to rob you.
I heard that Tito R. got stabbed in a dark alley
near the house in Manila
for a fake Rolex
with a too-shiny gold band.

Its tiny hands tick timealmost imperceptibly.

Doesn't she notice
no one else in the palengke
is wearing a real Rolex?
Instead, pseudo-American logos tattoo polyester tee shirts,
old housedresses fade in the humidity.
Doesn't she notice
shifty gazes from low-moving youngsters